Embodiment
by Aluminastic
Summary: In the end, Ib is left behind in the "Fabricated World" in an attempt to save Garry; in the process, however, Garry soon loses his memory of their time together. So, how will this play out? How could one keep their promise if they can't even remember them to begin with? (Eventual Ib x Garry)


_AN: Hey everyone! ^^ I've recently rewatched a playthough of Ib and it really inspired me, so I decided that I would try to make a fanfiction (something I haven't done in **forever**)... and well, yeah. Hope you enjoy it~_

* * *

_Hnn?_

Garry blinked once, twice, three times; what was he doing just now? He wasn't really sure, to be honest...

Snapping back into reality, the violet-haired man shook his head as he looked around; apparently he had been in the gallery for a little while now, so it seemed. Looking over to his left, his attention focused on a mesmerizing sculpture of a red rose with a few stray petals strewn across the floor. "_Embodiment of Spirit, hm..?_" He mumbled inaudibly as he gazed at the work of art with a pained expression. He wasn't really sure _why, _but those crimson petals gave him a growing sense of déjà vu... it was as though he had forgotten something _very _important— _but oh well, I suppose.__  
_

The man gave a quick glance at his wristwatch; the art gallery was going to close within the next 6 minutes, he noticed with a sigh. Garry looked back at the rose one last time, before making his way out of the building and into the busy streets of downtown.

_It's getting pretty late now, _he thought to himself as he looked up at the darkening hues of the sky. _I'm also feeling a little hungry... _

His pace slowed as his attention was caught by a very intriguing cafe; roses of red and blue were placed in fancy vases and a rather tasty aroma drifted from within— making his mouth water. Garry opened the door of the building before taking in the surroundings of the calming, yet busy restaurant.

"Yeah, this place is pretty cute if I do say so myself, a waitress suddenly commented behind him (scaring him a bit, but he refused to admit it) before a friendly smile crept onto her lips. "May I take your order, sir?"

Pressing his index finger against his lips as he eyed the menu, he finally decided that he would settle with macaroons.

* * *

"_And when we make it out, we can have some macaroons! Doesn't that sound fun, Ib?"_

The brunette stared down at the "sleeping" man, eyes stinging with unshed tears as she gingerly pushed away his violet bangs to fully reveal his peaceful face. Mary's painting had been burned down, and Ib had already found the way out... but alas, Garry was still asleep.

"_Garry?_" She called out in a hushed whisper as she gently nudged him, as only silence lingered in the air. She poked his shoulder, blew air onto his face... yet he didn't flinch one bit.

"_Garry?_" She said in a louder, more desperate tone as she shook him harder, panic slowly starting to rise within her as nothing she was doing seemed to affect Garry.

_Why wasn't Garry getting up?_

But she already knew the answer to that, of course. _Mary _had plucked away Garry's petals one by one, and now this was the consequence... and Ib had no way of getting them back. There were no vases in sight, and she wouldn't dare try the crayon water, either. So _what _could she do at this point...?

_No! _Garry couldn't be left behind... this wasn't what Ib wanted! She wanted to make it out _together, _to keep their promises— but how could that work if she was the only one who made it out? How could that be possible if he was _dead _(Or rather, "asleep" in Ib's eyes)_?_

Clutching her rose tightly in anxiety, Ib let out a small cry as she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her hand. She had forgotten that there were sharp thorns on her rose, and the brunette looked down at her now bloody fingers; a single drop had splattered against Garry's withered stalk, and-

...

_What...?_

Ib's eyes widened immensely as she watched a petal slowly grow back onto the stem of his rose, her blood slowly getting absorbed by the flower. Ib took a few seconds to take this in before finally coming up with a silly, yet hopeful idea.

_Could this wake Garry up?_

_Ah!_

A petal on Ib's rose soon withered away as the blood continued to ooze from her small hand, cold realization now twisting within the pit of her stomach.

A petal for a petal, so it seemed...

Ib would have to give her entire rose just for Garry to have enough energy to wake up, she soon realized as tears finally dripped from her chin. She was going to be left behind?

Although she truly wanted for Garry to get out alive, she did too... what about her parents? What about going to the café? What about all those promises they made that could only be kept if both of them made it out? These questions would relentlessly tear at her as she could only stand there in shock; she was only a nine-year old, after all...

_No, a_ wavering voice in her head cried out as she gave another glance at the old man. _Garry needs to make it out alive...__  
_

The brunette stooped down and affixed her gaze to the ground. This was a very tough choice for her, but she truly cared for Garry, a _lot, _and if this was the way to wake him up, she would be willing to sacrifice her life for his. Without a second thought, she impaled her finger with a thorn and watched as her petals slowly dwindled into nothing, and his slowly growing back. She could no longer keep her eyes open, but before they closed, Garry's eyes had fluttered open.

...and then it faded to black.

* * *

_And there's the first chapter, yaaaay. I think I might have to rewrite it a little though, hehe ^^;_

_Edit: Yup, I'm definitely going to have to work on this chapter more._


End file.
